Citing with Purdue OWL

Tips and Tricks for Citing Your Sources

The OWL is updated frequently so writers are sure to have access to the newest style manuals. Since citation and formatting rules change often, this is a good source to use to be sure you have the latest documentation guidelines.

The Dick Smith Library databases are a great source of information—some databases even provide citations for you. Students can find citations in Academic Search Complete, for example, by choosing “cite” under the Tools menu of the article they wish to use. Scroll down to find the desired writing style. Don't forget to check these citations against The OWL to make sure they follow the latest guidelines.

Be cautious when using websites as sources. In addition to the questionable reliability of many sites, they can also be very difficult to cite properly. Citing electronic sources requires an author’s name, publisher, and date of publication, information that many websites lack. The Writing Center recommends using the library databases for research as much as possible.

Citations can be tricky, but they're important to do correctly to avoid plagiarism. If you're unsure about how to cite a source, drop by the Writing Center and we'll be happy to help!